This invention relates to a system for performing unified automatic conveyance of media necessary for utilization of individual automatons installed in, for example, financial shops so as to supervise the media in a group and more particularly to a group supervisory system suited to align and convey media one by one.
The invention also pertains to a method of utilizing the group supervisory system in order to supervise one-dimensional conveyance of media necessary for utilization of automatons and automatically convey the necessary amount of media to each automaton when necessary.
Conventionally, in a group supervisory system of this type as disclosed in, for example, JP-A-60-17582 based on a Japanese patent application filed on Jul. 11, 1983, media are inserted in a new cassette, the new cassette is conveyed by means of a carriage to each automaton and an old cassette stored in each automaton is exchanged with the new cassette.
In a known method of utilizing this type of group supervisory system as disclosed in, for example, JP-A-60-17577 based on a Japanese patent application filed on Jul. 11, 1983, shortage of the residual amount of notes or fill-up of notes in each automaton is detected to provide a command by which supplemantation or withdrawal of notes is effected. Detectors for this purpose have a tolerance for avoidance of a delay in handling.
In the conventional system wherein the cassette itself is exchanged, a mechanism for conveyance is increased in size, requiring a large conveyance path width and flexibility of conveyance route layout is not considered sufficiently. In addition, where the passage is used in common for the carriage of persons, safe running of the carriage can possibly be ensured only at the cost of timely conveyance.
Further, in the conventional utilization method wherein supplementation/withdrawal is effected by a command resulting from the detection of shortage of the residual amount or fill-up of notes, a delay will occur in the supplementation/withdrawal processing when a plurality of automatons request supplementation/withdrawal and as a result, a delay of handling will occur inevitably. Conceivably, one way of overcoming this problem is to provide the detection level with a tolerance but unless the optimum amount of media is considered, media must be stored in an unnecessarily excessive amount.